


Handmade Bunnies

by LyriaBlackFrost



Category: Persona 4, Persona 5
Genre: Alternate Universe, Flirting, Fluff, Idiots in Love, M/M, Pre-Relationship, Ryuji lives in Inaba, They're the same age
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-20
Updated: 2019-12-20
Packaged: 2021-02-25 23:33:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,266
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21873733
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LyriaBlackFrost/pseuds/LyriaBlackFrost
Summary: Kanji becomes friends with a boy from the city, who, just like himself, stands out thanks to his punk appearance. As he gets to know Ryuji better, however, he realizes there is more to the boy than meets the eye—and that Kanji’s feelings for him might go way beyond friendship.
Relationships: Sakamoto Ryuji/Tatsumi Kanji
Comments: 14
Kudos: 65





	Handmade Bunnies

**Author's Note:**

> Back to my rarepairs... ~~as if I ever stopped~~
> 
> I hope you like it!

Kanji and Ryuji’s friendship started in an unusual way, during their first day of high-school.

The first time Kanji saw him was in the corridors of Yasogami High, just before the first bell rang; both of them had bleached hair, skull-themed t-shirts, and an unfriendly frown on their faces. Their instinctive reaction after staring wide-eyed at each other for a long while—and making everyone around them retreat in fear—was, obviously, to have lunch together on the roof.

It turned out that Ryuji wasn’t a bad guy. He told Kanji that he and his mother had just moved to his aunt’s house in Inaba, after his mother divorced his father and was struggling to raise him by herself. That explained why Kanji couldn’t remember seeing a flashy guy like him around, and also the reason why he was the only delinquent-looking person in that school other than Kanji himself. Such a thing was probably much more common in a big city like Tokyo.

Kanji commented about how he lived alone with his mother as well, and about her shop, learning in the process that Ryuji’s aunt was an old client of theirs. Still surprised by the coincidence, he offered to show Ryuji around after class, which he accepted at the same moment.

And, just like that, they became good friends.

Kanji was never the kind that made friends easily, in great part thanks to his aggressive attitude. With Ryuji, however, it was like they clicked immediately after meeting.

“Man…” said Ryuji as they walked by the riverbed. “This place looks so small. You can go anywhere you need by foot.”

“It’s not like this where ya came from?” asked Kanji.

The question made Ryuji laugh.

“You kiddin’?” he said. “In Tokyo you gotta take the train to go pretty much anywhere.”

Kanji tried to imagine it. He had seen on the TV how crowded the trains could get in the city, and the idea of taking them every day wasn’t exactly a nice thing.

“That sounds tiring…” he said.

“Nah,” Ryuji shrugged, “you get used to it. It’s kinda nice to save money from the tickets, though.”

They got close to the river, taking a short break there. Ryuji watched it with a slightly distant gaze, and Kanji tried to imagine what was going through his mind.

“You don’t like it here?” he asked.

Ryuji let out a small sigh.

“I dunno yet…” he said, lowering his gaze to the ground. “Everythin’ is really different, but… It’s not like I have too many good memories of that place either.”

Kanji nodded, unsure of what else to say.

“Oh,” proceeded Ryuji, “and I was kinda disappointed when I realized there’s no track team in our school… I’ve been part of it since I was a kid.”

“Track team?” Kanji furrowed his brow. “Like, running around in circles?”

He hadn’t meant to ask that as a joke, but it still made Ryuji laugh.

“You make it sound so lame…” he said. “But yeah… And it was pretty fun.”

Kanji couldn’t see what was so fun about that, but chose to shrug it off.

“If ya say so.”

Ryuji looked at him, and his distant expression from moments before gave place to an excited smile.

“We should go for a run together someday,” he said. “I’ll get rusty if I don’t practice.”

In any other situation, Kanji would probably deny the offer; however, it was hard to say no when that guy seemed so happy about it.

“I can’t see what’s so fun about that, but if ya need some company, I’m down for it.”

As he expected, Ryuji’s smile grew wider.

“That’s great!” he said. “You better not change your mind later.”

Kanji reassured him that he wouldn’t. They left the riverbed, going to the temple’s street. He showed the main locations to Ryuji, finally stopping in front of that textile shop.

“Here’s our shop,” he said. “I live here with my ma. Wanna take a look inside?”

“Sure!”

Kanji couldn’t even remember the last time he had brought a friend home, and the thought left him strangely giddy. He tried to ignore the feeling, going inside.

“Hey, ma…” he said. “I brought a friend from school.”

His mother immediately stopped organizing the rolls of fabric on a shelf to look at Kanji, her eyes widened in surprise.

“A friend?” She turned her attention to Ryuji, and a big, welcoming smile took her lips. “My, my… That’s wonderful news!”

She stepped away from the shelf, approaching the boys, lowering her head in a slight bow.

“My name is Himawari Tatsumi,” she said. “I am the owner of this shop and Kanji’s mother. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

Ryuji lowered his head, mimicking that polite compliment.

“Nice to meet you,” he said. “I’m Ryuji Sakamoto.”

“Sakamoto?” Himawari seemed surprised to hear that name. “Could you be related to Akane Sakamoto?”

“Yeah,” answered Ryuji, “she’s my aunt. My mom and I are livin’ with her now.”

Himawari’s smile widened, and she let out a pleased laugh.

“Oh, I’m so glad to know!” she said. “It’s good to see some new faces in this town.”

She observed Ryuji again, glancing at her son, and then back at him.

“Forgive me for staring,” she said, covering her mouth with a hand, “but you two are so much alike!”

That blunt observation made Kanji’s face grow warm.

“Wha—” he averted his gaze, clicking his tongue. “C’mon, ma…”

Ryuji, however, giggled at that comment.

“Yeah,” he said. “Guess we’re two of a kind, right?”

Himawari nodded.

“Except you’re so much more polite than my boy, Ryuji…” she said, throwing Kanji a brief look of disapproval. “I’m sure you never called your mother an old hag.”

“Ah… no, I didn’t.”

Ryuji looked at Kanji, raising his eyebrow, and Kanji let out a loud sigh to cover his embarrassment.

“Stop blabbering like that!” he said in a loud tone, placing a hand on the side of his neck. “He’s gonna get the wrong idea about me!”

An amused smile appeared on Himawari’s face.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry…” she said, clearly having fun with the situation. She looked again at Ryuji before proceeding. “Kanji is actually a sweet and caring boy, but he has some difficulties when it comes to socia—”

“That’s enough!” Kanji interrupted her. “I’m never bringing friends home again!”

“Oh, dear…”

His mother laughed, clearly not taking that threat seriously. Kanji looked at Ryuji, then indicated the entrance.

“Come,” he said. “I’ll show ya the rest of the town.”

Before they left, Himawari spoke again.

“I hope you’ll come see us again soon, Ryuji.” She offered him a kind smile. “Please, tell your mother and aunt to visit sometime, I’ll be happy to have some company.”

“Sure!” answered Ryuji, returning her smile. “Thanks!”

Himawari waved before they left the store. Kanji was still dealing with the embarrassment when Ryuji let out a brief giggle.

“Man, your mom is so nice,” he said.

“Yeah…” Kanji twisted his lips, keeping his gaze down. “But she sure loves to embarrass me in front of others.”

“Nah, that’s just what moms do,” answered Ryuji with a shrug. “Mine kinda does the same all the time.”

As soon as he said that, his smile faded.

“But she’s been pretty quiet since we moved out…” he added in a lower tone. “I hope she can make some friends here soon.”

Kanji looked at him through the corner of his eyes. He wanted to say something nice to maybe cheer him up, but… He wasn’t any good with words.

“Yeah… I hope so too.”

* * *

As the days became weeks, and then three entire months, Kanji came to realize that, despite his appearance, Ryuji was very kind. He kept that defiant attitude when other people were around, but it didn’t take much more than an honest smile for Ryuji’s frown to turn into a friendly expression. For Kanji, however, it was the opposite: as soon as someone tried to talk to him, his instinctive reaction was to glare and yell, no matter what their intentions actually were. It didn’t help him make any friends, of course, but it sure as hell was much better than being the butt of everyone’s jokes, like when he was in middle school.

In fact, Kanji had lost track of all the shit he had heard when he was a kid. _A boy who likes to sew? How weird! Aren’t you ashamed of going around carrying a teddy bear? A guy your size likes girly things? Eww… That’s gross! Are you sure you’re not gay? Oh my God, what a queer…_ Those, among so many other comments that he was tired of hearing already. More than once he had tried to change his tastes to something more ‘manly’, but all it did, in the end, was make him feel depressed. So, instead of trying to change who he was and what he liked, Kanji changed how people saw him. They wanted a manly guy? Sure, then they’d get a guy who wouldn’t take shit from anyone. A delinquent, a troublemaker, a punk… Whatever they chose to call it. As long as he kept that tough facade, no one would dare to get close enough to know about his secrets and mock him again.

So, when he let Ryuji get close to him, he knew he had too much to lose if things went wrong. However, he was so happy to finally have a friend that he couldn’t bring himself to push him away. Instead, he just shoved those embarrassing parts of him even deeper inside himself, and hoped that Ryuji would never find them out.

Other than that, their mothers became friends quickly. Just like her sister, Aoi Sakamoto was a kind woman, but the effects of that recent divorce were clear on her face. She looked tired, but as she spent more time in the shop, she started to talk more, and even look like she was having fun.

“I think this place is doin’ her well…” commented Ryuji while they sat by the river, resting after their now habitual jog after class.

Kanji looked at him, showing a slight smile.

“That’s good,” he said.

“Yeah.”

Ryuji lied down on his back, and, without thinking, Kanji did the same.

“She told me that she got a job at Junes,” proceeded Ryuji. “Maybe I’ll try to get a part-time job there too… To help aunt Red, and all.”

The way Ryuji called Akane his “aunt Red” aways made Kanji smile. Despite his appearance, the guy could be surprisingly cute at times.

“That sounds good,” said Kanji. “Well… some people may look weird at ya cuz of this whole Junes drama, but who cares, right?”

“Right?” agreed Ryuji.

They spent some time in silence, simply staring at the sky, that was slowly getting a warm orange tone.

“When we left Tokyo, I didn’t think I’d like this place,” admitted Ryuji. “Everythin’ seemed too small, and too different from before.” He made a pause, thinking. “But since we moved here, everythin’ got better for us. My mom is startin’ to smile again, and I…” he looked at Kanji, offering him a sweet smile. “I’ve got myself a best friend.”

Kanji stared back at him, unable to answer. Of course he knew they were friends—best friends, even… But something in the way Ryuji said that made his heart race.

“That so…?” he said, looking at the sky again.

Ryuji laughed, looking up as well.

“My bad, that was kinda outta nowhere,” he considered it for a moment, then added in a lower voice. “It’s true, though.”

Before Kanji could answer, Ryuji sat up, stretching his arms and back.

“Guess we should go back now…” he said. “I still gotta help with dinner.”

Kanji agreed, following Ryuji in silence until the street where they usually parted ways. His mind, however, was still on that brief exchange by the riverbed, and how Ryuji’s words and smile made him feel.

_“Oh, no…”_ he thought as he came to a conclusion that he certainly didn’t want to. _“No, no way…”_

But, even if he tried to deny it, he knew it was the truth—it had been for quite a while now. Still, for someone like him, who struggled for so long with his own tastes, and with the way people saw him, admitting that he could have a crush on another guy was… difficult, to say the least.

* * *

Kanji didn’t go to school on the next day. He had stressed himself so much over his feelings for his best friend that he got a bad stomach ache, which kept him in bed from the end of that afternoon until close to lunchtime on the following day. His mother spent the whole night checking on him, and, despite Kanji’s protests, he couldn’t deny that her worry made him feel reassured. Even if no one else in the world accepted him for what he was, he sure as hell knew that his ma would. She always did.

After having lunch, Kanji just couldn’t stay in bed any longer. He got out of his bedroom, receiving a look of concern from his mother.

“You should stay in bed for today,” she said.

“I’m better already,” answered Kanji. “I got tired of my bed, so I’m just gonna go for a walk.”

She clearly didn’t like the idea.

“What if you feel sick again while you’re outside?” she asked.

“I won’t go far.”

Himawari still didn’t look happy with the situation, but gave in with a low sigh.

“Just promise me you’ll come back if you feel sick again,” she said.

“Right,” answered Kanji. “Promise.”

He left the store, slowly walking down that street. The fresh air seemed to lift his mood, making him feel a little better. He still had many things on his mind, but at least now they didn’t seem too overwhelming. Yes, he probably had a crush on his best friend… so what? It wasn’t like things needed to change between him and Ryuji. He could keep his feelings to himself, as he did with the embarrassing things he liked. Nothing needed to change.

After walking for a few minutes, Kanji made his way back to the store. As soon as he got close to the entrance, however, he heard Ryuji’s voice coming from inside, alongside his mother’s.

“They’re pretty cute…” said Ryuji. “Did you make them?”

“Me?” his mother laughed briefly. “Oh, no… Kanji made them.”

“Kanji? Really?”

“Yes. He’s really good at it, isn’t he?”

Kanji’s stomach turned, and he got inside the shop without thinking twice.

“Ma!”

Himawari and Ryuji were close to the balcony, on which he saw a few of the stuffed animals made by him. The two looked at him, and his mother offered him a smile.

“Oh, there you are my dear,” she said, indicating his friend with a gesture. “Ryuji arrived just now, looking for you.”

“Hey.” Ryuji offered him a brief wave. “You didn’t answer your phone, so I came in.”

Kanji’s head was nothing but a big mess. _Ryuji knew it… Shit, Ryuji knew about his girly tastes… Now he probably thought that he was a freak._

“Come inside…” he said, grabbing Ryuji by the arm, pulling him to his room without looking at his face.

“I’ll prepare some snacks for you later,” said his mother.

Kanji looked at her. He knew she hadn’t done it on purpose, so, despite his frustration, he did his best to offer her a slight smile.

“Thanks, ma.”

When they got inside Kanji’s bedroom, a heavy, awkward silence grew between them.

“Why did ya come here?” asked Kanji.

Ryuji looked at him, seeming as uncomfortable as Kanji with the situation.

“You didn’t go to school, so I got kinda worried,” he explained.

“I felt sick yesterday, so my ma told me to rest.”

“Sick?” Ryuji widened his eyes. “What’s wrong?”

“Only a stomachache,” answered Kanji with a shrug, “nothing that bad. She just worries a lot.”

Despite his answer, Ryuji still looked at him with concern.

“Did you get better?” he asked.

“Uh… Yeah.”

“That’s good.”

Again, they both went silent. Ryuji was the first to gather the courage to speak, offering Kanji a slight smile.

“So… You make plushies?”

Kanji’s stomach turned again. He knew he wouldn’t be able to avoid that subject, but part of him hoped Ryuji could just erase those recent memories from his mind. He stared at Ryuji, frowning as he crossed his arms.

“Why?” he asked in an aggressive tone. “Do ya have a problem with that?”

“Why would I?” answered Ryuji, furrowing his brow. “Actually, I think it’s pretty cool.”

Ryuji’s calm response made Kanji feel bad about his reaction. He took a deep breath, averting his gaze.

“There’s nothing cool about this stuff…” he said. “You don’t need to lie to make me feel better.”

“I ain’t lyin’,” protested Ryuji. “I really think it’s cool.”

Kanji didn’t answer, and Ryuji let out a loud sigh.

“Man…” he muttered. “You can be such a knucklehead sometimes…”

Ryuji took a step in his direction, seeming to hesitate a little before speaking again.

“Hey… y’know…” He shifted in the same place, slightly anxious. “I really like to bake.”

“Huh?”

That sudden comment made Kanji stare at him again, confused.

“Bakin’, y’know…” Ryuji repeated. “Cakes, muffins, melon bread… All kinds of sweet stuff.” He made a pause. “I’m kinda good with cookin’ food too, but, like… Bakin’ is way more fun.”

Kanji couldn’t say anything for a while, struggling to get that information inside his head.

“Are ya making fun of me?” he asked, cautious.

His question made Ryuji frown.

“The hell, man?” he asked. “How did you even understand it that way?”

Kanji felt slightly relieved with that answer, but no less confused.

“Then, why are ya tellin’ me that outta nowhere?” he asked.

Ryuji looked at him for a while, then shrugged.

“I dunno…” he admitted. “I mean, this ain’t the kinda stuff you’d expect a guy like me to do. So… I thought it’d be nice to tell someone that I know won’t judge me.”

He sounded honest, and his answer made sense, especially for someone like Kanji.

“I… I see,” he said.

His chest felt much lighter, and he could barely contain a smile.

“So…” he said, “ya really liked the plushies…?”

“‘Course I did!” answered Ryuji with a big smile. “You’re so good at it!”

“Wanna see more of them?”

“You have more?”

Kanji nodded, slightly embarrassed.

“Yeah…” he said. “I made a few for myself. I keep them in my wardrobe.”

Ryuji’s face brightened up at those words.

“Lemme see them!”

Kanji walked to his wardrobe, then, after moving a curtain of hanged clothes out of the way, indicated his plushies’ secret hideout with a gesture.

“Here they are.”

Ryuji got closer, looking inside.

“Oh…!” he said, surprised. “It’s like a whole family lives here!” He looked at Kanji, seeming excited. “Can I hold them?”

“Go ahead.”

Kanji watched while Ryuji took those stuffed animals one by one, and observed them with attention.

“Man, they’re adorable!” he said. “You even made tiny clothes and stuff for them!”

His comment made Kanji’s face warm up a little, but not in an unpleasant way.

“Shuddup,” he said.

The response made Ryuji twist his lips at him.

“Can’t you just take a compliment?” he asked.

Kanji groaned.

“Thanks, then…” he said. “I guess.”

“You _guess…”_ repeated Ryuji.

“Fine!” Kanji let out a long sigh, unable to hold back a soft smile. “Thanks.”

Ryuji returned the smile, clearly satisfied, then turned his attention back to the plushies. Kanji debated with himself for a whole minute before gathering the courage to speak again.

“Do ya wanna learn how to make one?” he asked.

“You mean a plushie?” Ryuji looked at him, surprised. “Would you teach me?”

“Yeah… If ya want.”

“Hell yeah, I want!”

Ryuji sounded so happy with the idea that Kanji giggled.

“As a payment, ya could teach me how to bake,” he offered.

“Deal!”

Kanji got his box of tools, and another with fabric and other materials, placing them in the middle of his room. He and Ryuji sat on the floor, side by side.

“So…” he said, looking at Ryuji. “Which animal do ya wanna make?”

Ryuji thought for a moment.

“I dunno…” he said. “But it’s better if it ain’t that difficult.”

“Right. Do ya prefer a bear or a rabbit?

“A rabbit.”

Kanji smiled, dragging the box of fabrics closer to them.

“And the colors?” he asked. “One for the rabbit, and two for the clothes.”

Ryuji widened his eyes at him.

“I’m makin’ clothes too?” he asked.

“You want your rabbit to be naked?”

“Yeah, no.” Ryuji sighed. “Okay, then… What colors do you have?”

For the following few minutes, Kanji showed him some of the fabric he had in the box. In the end, Ryuji chose brown, cream, and orange, and Kanji light-gray, white and pastel pink.

“You’re gonna make one too?” asked Ryuji.

“Yeah. It’ll be easier to teach ya if you see me doing it.”

Kanji gave him a few tips and instructions before they actually began their work. They started with the bodies of the bunnies, cutting the pieces, then carefully sewing them together. Ryuji pricked his finger a few times before he finally got the hang of it.

“I’m really slow, ain’t I?” asked Ryuji, looking at Kanji’s work, that already looked much more like a bunny than his own.

“I’m just used to it,” answered Kanji. “You’re not doing bad for your first time.”

“Really?”

Kanji smiled, moving a little closer to him to look at his bunny.

“Yeah,” he said. “Cuz you’re doing it slow, you’re doing a better job than if ya rushed it. You’ll get faster as ya get used to it.”

Ryuji nodded.

“Yeah, but this one’ll take a while,” he answered. “There’s no way I’m finishin’ it today.”

Kanji considered it for a moment.

“You can spend the night here, if ya want,” he said. “We don’t have classes tomorrow, anyway.”

“You sure your mom won’t mind it?”

“No way…” Kanji chuckled. “She’s always telling me to bring friends home.”

“You should still ask her though…” said Ryuji, reaching for his phone. “And I should tell my mom too.”

“Right,” answered Kanji. “Call her while I talk to my ma.”

With everything settled, the two of them went back to work, spending the next few hours on it. When Ryuji finally finished to sew his bunny’s body and put the filling, they finally stopped for the day.

“We can do the rest tomorrow…” said Kanji. “Give your damn fingers a break.”

“Yeah…” agreed Ryuji, looking at his reddened thumb. “This shit hurts more than I expected.”

“But it’s fun, right?”

“Yeah.”

Kanji placed the strings and needles back in his toolbox, while Ryuji cracked his fingers and stretched his arms. They moved the boxes to the corner of the room, clearing some space for them to lie down, side by side.

“I got really happy today…” said Kanji after a while.

Ryuji looked at him, curious.

“Why?”

Kanji hesitated a little before answering.

“To be honest, I’m really scared of people finding out about this side of me,” he lowered his voice. “The few ones who learned about the stuff I like were… Well, they thought it was pretty weird. Made me really embarrassed about it.”

His words made Ryuji frown.

“You shouldn’t feel embarrassed for doin’ somethin’ you like,” he said.

“I know…” admitted Kanji. “But when everyone gives ya the weird look and talk shit behind your back, you just kinda…” He made a pause, letting out a tired sigh. “Wish ya could be different.”

Ryuji looked at him for a while, then lowered his gaze.

“I think I get it,” he said.

They spent a moment in silence, Kanji’s mind still on the events of that day.

“Hey, Kanji…

Ryuji’s voice called his attention, and he turned his face to his friend, meeting his gaze.

“I’m glad you’re the way you are.”

Those words got Kanji by surprise. He instinctively looked away from Ryuji.

“Girly tastes an’ all?” he asked.

“Yeah…” Ryuji let out a small giggle. “It’s cute.”

Kanji groaned, turning to the side, with his back to Ryuji.

“Now you’re just mocking me!” he protested.

“I ain’t!” said Ryuji, sitting up and looking at Kanji. “C’mon… Guys can be cute too.”

It was difficult for him to go against that argument.

“Guess you’re right…” muttered Kanji. “It’s just weird that ya think someone like _me_ is cute.”

“Why?”

“Usually people get scared to even look at my face.”

To his surprise, Ryuji laughed.

“Nah…” he said. “You act tough, but you’re really sweet.”

_Sweet…_ That word seemed to give Kanji butterflies in his stomach.

“Thanks, I guess…”

He thought about Ryuji’s words for a while, trying to gather his courage to speak.

“Y’know…” Kanji averted his gaze, slightly embarrassed. “You’re kinda cute too.”

Ryuji stared at him, wide-eyed, and a red flush spread through his whole face.

“Okay… I get it now…” He lied on his back again, averting his gaze. “This shit is fuckin’ embarrassin’ to hear.”

Kanji turned to face him, and Ryuji’s reaction made him chuckle.

“C’mon…” he said. “You made me go through it, so now endure it like a man!”

“I’m not manly enough for this…” mumbled Ryuji.

“After all that stuff ya said about guys being cute too?”

Ryuji groaned, covering his face with an arm.

“I didn’t mean _me_ by that!”

Kanji sat up, leaning in his direction and moving his arm away, offering Ryuji a wide smile before speaking.

“Too bad, cuz you’re freaking adorable.”

Kanji regretted his words as soon as they left his mouth. Ryuji started at him with his mouth half-open.

“C’mon…” he muttered. “Don’t say stuff like that.”

Kanji felt his own face burning.

“Ah… no,” he tried to say. “That’s not what I—”

He moved away from Ryuji, looking to the other side.

“Sorry…” he said. “I think I went too far.”

Ryuji didn’t say anything for a while.

“You really think like that?” he asked in a low voice.

Kanji shifted a little in the same place before answering.

“Yeah.”

“I see...”

He glanced at Ryuji, realizing that he had just done the same. Kanji fought against the instinct to look away.

“Thanks,” said Ryuji.

“Don’t thank me…” answered Kanji, placing a hand on the side of his neck. “You’re making me feel more embarrassed.”

Ryuji chuckled at his words.

“Who knew?” he said. “Even punks like us can be cute.”

“Even if only for each other,” added Kanji.

“Yeah…” Ryuji considered it for a moment. “But it ain’t that bad, I guess.”

“Guess so.”

That conversation made a warm feeling of excitement fill Kanji’s chest. _Was Ryuji flirting with him? Was there any chance that he was interested in him as well?_ While part of him didn’t want to get his hopes up, he liked to play with that idea, imagining how great it would be if that was actually the case.

His mother called them for dinner a few minutes later, and after helping her with the dishes, the boys went back to the bedroom, chatting for a while before falling asleep.

* * *

They got up early in the next morning, getting back to their plushies. After a few hours of work, they managed to finish their clothes, so the only thing left was the details. With Kanji’s help, Ryuji added the final touches to his bunny.

“She turned out cuter than I thought,” said Ryuji.

“Yeah,” agreed Kanji. “Good job.”

Ryuji hummed to himself, looking at the bunny with a proud smile.

“I’ll call her Mikan,” said Ryuji.

Kanji raised his eyebrow at the name.

“Cuz she’s wearing orange?” he asked.

“Yeah,” answered Ryuji with a slight pout. “Don’t laugh…”

His annoyance only made Kanji chuckle.

“Fine…” said Kanji, looking at his own plushie. “I’ll call mine Tsubaki, then.

“‘Cause she’s wearin’ pink?” asked Ryuji with a grin.

“I won’t judge ya if you don’t judge me.”

“Okay, fair.”

Kanji observed the bunnies for a moment, then a thought crossed his mind.

“Ah, just a minute… I’ve got just the thing.”

Ryuji watched as Kanji searched his supplies, opening a case with many decorated buttons, taking two pairs of tiny heart-shaped ones from there—a pink pair and a yellow one. Maybe he was being too straightforward with that, but it was too late to overthink it.

“Here,” he offered Ryuji one of each color. “Put it on her hat.”

Ryuji did as he suggested, and Kanji did the same to his own bunny.

“Okay,” said Kanji, “now they’re done.”

They placed the bunnies side by side. Since their dresses and hats were the same models, it looked like they were matching—and the hearts only added to it. The idea made a small, silly smile take Kanji’s lips.

“They even look like sisters…” he said.

Ryuji shook his head.

“Nah…” he said. “They’re clearly girlfriends.”

That comment was enough to make Kanji’s heart jump. Ryuji must have noticed the change in his expression, seeming to get slightly flustered.

“Was it weird?” he asked. “My bad…”

“No!” answered Kanji, quickly. “I mean… They could be girlfriends, sure.”

They showed their stuffed bunnies to Himawari—skipping the ‘girlfriends’ part—and she praised Ryuji’s work, encouraging Kanji to keep teaching him. When they commented about Ryuji teaching Kanji to bake, she seemed delighted.

“Oh, please teach him how to make a carrot cake!” she asked. “I can’t wait to eat a carrot cake baked by my son.”

Kanji could do nothing but smile. Ryuji left his house by the end of the afternoon, and, despite having spent such a long time with him, Kanji had the feeling that it hadn’t been nearly enough.

He spent some time helping his mother at the store, then went back to his room. When he was getting ready to sleep, his phone buzzed. It was a new message from Ryuji, with a picture of him holding his plushie.

**Ryuji: Mikan wanted to tell you good night.**

_Oh, man… That guy was cute._ Kanji smiled to himself, taking a picture of him holding his own plushie, sending it to Ryuji.

**Kanji: Thanks.**

**Kanji: Tsubaki said good night too.**

There was a minute without a response. Kanji thought the conversation had ended there, when a new message finally came.

**Ryuji: Mikan said she loves Tsubaki.**

Kanji screamed internally. He reread that message a few times, torn between interpreting it as a simple joke or something else. In the end, he allowed himself to think there was a deeper meaning behind those words.

**Kanji: And Tsubaki said she loves Mikan back.**

Ryuji’s answer came soon after.

**Ryuji: Now I feel kinda bad for keeping them apart…**

**Kanji: They can see each other when we hang out again after school.**

**Ryuji: I hope it won’t take too long.**

**Kanji: Me too.**

It should be obvious by that point that Ryuji—his best friend—would want to spend time with him again. Still, he was happy to read that confirmation. He received another message moments later: a single line, followed by a yellow heart.

**Ryuji: Goodnight Kanji.**

Kanji’s heart seemed to melt. He typed his short answer, followed by a pink heart.

**Kanji: Goodnight Ryuji.**

Being in love with a guy wasn’t nearly as bad as he thought it would be.

**Author's Note:**

> R: You're cute  
> K: !!!!!  
>  _5 minutes later..._  
>  K: You're cute  
> R: !!!!!
> 
> This is the purest ship to ever exist... I'll fill this tag by myself if I have to.
> 
> Thanks for reading, I hope you liked it!


End file.
